Apokalupsis

12-09-00
Bath, Maine

2 Thess. 1:7-10 - "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day."

It is well that we should reflect upon the scenes of Jesus' return to Earth in glory, upon the day when He shall be revealed - "apokalupsis" in the Greek - from heaven. Upon the day of Jesus' ascension into heaven to begin His great High Priestly work in the heavenly sanctuary, two angels of God stood by the disciples as they watched and said: "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." Acts 1:11.

Since the launching of the Counter-Reformation in the late 16th century, however, confusion has slowly crept in regarding the manner of Christ's return, and the meaning of the prophetic waymarks preceding that great event. These issues are being agitated again in America with the promotion of the "Left Behind" series of books written by a pair of Evangelical Christian teachers and authors. In essence these books again present to the general public a rehash of the same Jesuit-rooted errors that Mr. Hal Lindsey successfully promoted in the late 1970s in his book, "the Late, Great Planet Earth".

These books, drawing from a stream of errors having their roots in the Counter-Reformation of the 1500s, have drawn attention away from the proper role and interpretation of Bible prophecy; have effectively masked  end-time errors regarding the coming of our Lord Jesus and have obscured the true issues in the Great Controversy between Christ and Satan.

Today I would like to focus more clearly upon the manner and effects of His return rather than an exposition of the waymarks preceding it, and perhaps at another time examine the prophetic "signs of the times" in a separate presentation.

The angels said "...this same Jesus".  We wait not for a great man to arise among us, as do some, to inaugurate an earthly utopia through some superior human philosophy. We wait for the One Who died in our place and rose again to come in glory and receive us unto Himself, that where He is, we may be also (John 14:3).

"which is taken up from you into heaven" - Jesus went into heaven in a cloud of angels, personally, physically, and visibly. "shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." When He returns from heaven it will be in this manner, but with great glory, and everyone shall see Him:

Rev. 1: 7 - "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him."

A modern teaching expresses the thought that before the glorious appearing "apokalupsis" of Jesus, He comes secretly "parousia" to take away His church before a time of great tribulation. Compare this thought with the parable of the wheat and the tares, in which Jesus says that the wheat and the tares - the righteous and the wicked - grow together until the harvest.

Matt. 13:30 - "Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.". When asked by His disciples regarding this parable Jesus explained: "He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear." Matt. 13:37-43

Now to Rev. 14:14-19 "And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God."  In this example we find that the earth in general is reaped, but it is the vine of the earth that is gathered and cast in to the winepress of the wrath of God, just as the tares are first gathered and bundled for burning: 

2 Peter 2:9 - "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.". Where are they reserved? In their graves: John 5:28,29 - "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."

When do these respective resurrections take place?

Rev. 20:4-6 - "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."

Regarding the "parousia" or 'coming' of the Lord Jesus, The false view put forth in the previously mentioned books, and ringing forth from pulpits all over the world, is that the "parousia" or 'coming' of the Lord Jesus is invisible and inaudible and results in the secret "rapture" or 'catching away' of the church before the great time of trouble, leaving the wicked a second opportunity for salvation. We need only examine one particular text to clearly see the fallacy of this position: 2 Thess. 2:1-8 - "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming  (parousia) of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming (parousia)." If the antichrist power is destroyed at the parousia then it surely is the same as the apokalupsis, where the Lord is revealed in flaming fire: 2 Thess. 1:7, 8 - "when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Pet. 3:10 - "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." Thus, the wicked also are destroyed at His coming, leaving them no second chance.

Thus we see that the Parousia and the Apokalupsis are the same event - the return of Jesus in the magnificence of His glory, which is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29).

And thus the Earth is reaped. Let's examine some references in the Old Testament regarding the effect of the approach of the Righteous and Holy God to a world corrupted and stained with sin.

Is. 24:16-23 - "From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous. But I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously. Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake. The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited. Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously."

And this from Jeremiah 25:30-33 - "Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground."

And of the aftermath of this awesome climax of Earth's history we find description again in Jeremiah 4:19-29 - "My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war. Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment. How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet? For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger. For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end. For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it. The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen; they shall go into thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city shall be forsaken, and not a man dwell therein."

In view of the awesome and fearful imagery used by the prophets to describe this series of the closing events of Earth's history, What should our attitude be regarding the salvation offered us?

2 Pet. 1:3-11 - "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness"?

Closing Hymn: # 548 "Sweet Promise is Given"

Last Updated: July 20, 2002